Introduction
The formal job creation in Mexico during 2025 was largely driven by the burgeoning digital transport and delivery platforms, such as Uber, Didi, and Rappi. These platforms accounted for 74.1% of the 278,697 new formal jobs registered with the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), making it the primary growth engine for formal employment amidst a sluggish economy.
Background on Digital Platform Workers
The Mexican legislation recognized this segment of employment starting from July 2025. Excluding digital platform workers, the formal job creation in 2025 stood at only 72,176—the lowest since 2003, excluding years with economic recessions.
Rodolfo Ostolaza, subdirector of Economic Studies at Banamex, explained that without digital platform workers, the job creation growth would have been 0.3%, lower than the expected 0.5%. Only 13% of these digital platform workers met the criteria to be considered fully insured.
Seasonal Job Losses in December 2025
In December 2025, the national payroll experienced a loss of 320,692 jobs, aligning with the typical seasonal adjustment at year-end. Although fewer than the 400,000 jobs lost in December 2024, it was the second-largest decrease proportionally since 2010, representing 53.5% of the nearly 600,000 jobs created up to November.
Historically, annual formal job creation surpassed 600,000 positions between 2010 and 2019, with peaks over 800,000 driven by manufacturing, commerce, and services. Even after the pandemic’s impact in 2021, there was a recovery with over 800,000 new jobs. However, the 2025 performance showed limited growth dependent on a single segment.
Employment Trends and Future Outlook
Alberto Alesi, General Director of ManpowerGroup for Mexico, Caribe, and Centroamérica, noted that uncertainty regarding Mexico’s trade relations kept job creation low throughout 2025. This caused employers to remain cautious and reconsider hiring, a trend observed throughout the year.
By year-end, 86.9% of IMSS-registered jobs were permanent, while 13.1% were temporary. However, this stability did not translate to increased job generation, suggesting a decrease in labor demand rather than a shift in hiring methods.
Ostolaza attributed the annual growth to significant declines in mining, construction, and manufacturing industries along with a slowdown in services. Eighteen out of 32 Mexican entities reported smaller annual payrolls, with Campeche experiencing an 8.3% decrease.
Despite these challenges, Ostolaza anticipates improvement driven by fiscal consolidation and public investment effects. He expects a continued growth trend with an average 1.7% increase (approximately 380,000 new workers) and a real wage growth of 3.4% for 2026.
Key Questions and Answers
- What drove job creation in Mexico during 2025? The digital transport and delivery platforms, such as Uber, Didi, and Rappi, accounted for 74.1% of the 278,697 new formal jobs registered with IMSS.
- How did the exclusion of digital platform workers affect job creation? Without digital platform workers, the job creation growth would have been only 0.3%, much lower than the expected 0.5%.
- What was the seasonal adjustment in December 2025? The national payroll experienced a loss of 320,692 jobs in December 2025, aligning with the typical seasonal adjustment at year-end.
- What are the future employment prospects according to ManpowerGroup’s Encuesta de Expectativas de Empleo for 2026? For the period of January to March 2026, all sectors predict positive intentions for hiring. Finances and Insurance (49%) and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (31%) are the most optimistic sectors.
